The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is a labor union that represents teachers and other educational workers. It is a national organization of over 1 million members, over 40 state groups, and over 3,000 local groups. Founded in Chicago in 1916, it is affiliated with the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). The mission of the AFT, adopted in July 2000, is to improve the lives of their members by representing their aspirations and strengthening their institutions. The AFT Web page states several beliefs that the organization advocates: high academic and conduct standards for students, greater professionalism for teachers and school staff, cooperative problem solving and workplace innovations, and high-quality health care provided by qualified professionals.

The AFT has five divisions: teachers; paraprofessional and ...